Sewing machine presser foot



Get. 9, 1951' L W 2,570,464

SEWING MACHINE PRESSER FOOT Filed Aug. 24, 1949 INVENTOR.

K y K A Tram/E ys Patented Oct. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,570,464 SEWING MACHINE PREssER roo'r Theodore Loew,; Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Trubenizing Process Corporation,- New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 24, 1949, Serial No. 112,139

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an improved presser foot for sewing machines. It is an object of this invention to afford an improved presser foot for sewing machines whereby improved" and more eflicient illumination may be had at the point-of stitching.

The presser foot that is conventionally used with sewing machines for holding the work against the feed dogs which advance the work, is made of metal and comprises a heel portion from which two toes extend forwardly with a needle accommodating space therebetween. In using such a presser foot it has always been very difficult to obtain satisfactory illumination at the point of stitching between the toes, for the parts of the presser foot intercept rays of light emanating from a source of illumination and create a shadow-at the point of stitching, namely, at the point of entry of the needle into the work. This is a troublesome source of difficulty which is particularly objectionable in the case of stitching op erations requiring a high degree of precision, e. g. as in accurately locating thestitching of a shirt collar in conformity to predetermined desired contours as indicated by a mark, crease, or other uide which should be accurately followed by the operator. 7

According to this invention, the difficulties above mentioned due to poor illumination at the point of stitching have been successfully overcome, and illumination is brought to the point of stitching by a transparent portion of the presser foot through which light rays from any convenient source of illumination can travel to the point of stitching, thus providing good illumination of the work as it passes under the presser foot to the point'of entry of the needle.

Further purposes, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description of certain typical exemplary embodiments thereof in connection with the following drawings,.wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the improved presser foot of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the embodiment shown-in Fig. l

Figs. 3 and 4 are similar to Fig. 2 showing modifications with respect to the disposition of the light receiving surface of the transparent material comprised in the presser foot, and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment. wherein. the entire presser foot is composed of. transparent material.

Referring to the embodiment'of this invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the presser foot is. indicated generally by the reference character 10 and may, as in the embodiment shown, be pivoted to the support arm I l by the pin l2. The upper-end of the support arm H may be provided with any suitable means such as the notched member I3 whereby it may be operatively secured to the sewing machine. The presser foot ID has a metalheel portion I4 having upstanding flanges l5 and I5a between which the opposite faces of the lower end of support arm l l slidably fit and through which the pin l2 passes. Between the under surface I l a of the lower end of the support arm H and the upper surface of the heel portion I4 is a small compression spring l6 which is adapted to keep the rearward end of the heel normally depressed in the position shown. Extending forwardly from the heel portion M are the toes I1 and [la which are upturned at their forward ends and one of which may be slightly longer than the other in the conventional manner.

The presser foot thus far described is typical of the type of metal presser foot'that is commonly used in sewing machines for holding the work against the feed dogs of a sewing machine and the use of which is attended with the above-mentione'd difficulties due to poor illumination at the point of stitching. It is to be understood that the construction of the presser foot as above described is merely illustrative and that the presser foot may take' other forms of which many are commonly used, depending on the type of sewing machine employed, the work to be handled, etc.

The difficulty due to poor illumination at the point of stitching has been successively overcome according to the present invention by securin to the underside of the metal portions of the presser foot a shoe was by means of the screw I9. The shoe is is composed of transparent material and is shaped so as'to underlie the metal heel and toe portions of the presser foot. Thus the toe portions of the'shoe [8 are spaced apart underneath the spaced metal toes so as to accommodate the needle 20, which is securedfto thesewing machine and is operable in the usual way in the space between the toes of the presser foot. The under surface of the toes of the shoe is upturned in the usual way to facilitate'entry of the work under the shoe. Laterally spaced from one of the side walls of the space between the toes of the shoe L8 is the light-receiving surface 2| which in the embodiment shown is disposed at an acute angle to the plane of the bottom of the shoe. Upon directing illumination from a light source L so that the light rays fall approximately normally onthe light-receiving surface 2|, the light rays pass through the transparent material of the shoe l8 to the point of stitching in the space between the toes. In this manner; the light rays pass through the transparent shoe and provide very good illumination to the work 22 at the point of stitching as the work is advanced under the presser foot by the action of the feed dogs 23 tha+u are concealed in the bed 24 of the sewing machine on which the work 22 rests.

The shoe .58 may be composed of any transparent material, by which is meant sufficient capacity for the transmission of light therethrough to afford illumination at the point of stitching by light transmitted through the material of the shoe. When the light-receiving surface of the shoe is disposed at an acute angle to the bot; tom of the shoe it is preferable to employ a transparent material having a relatively high index of refraction so that the light rays after enter ing the transparent material at an angle to the base of the shoe will more effectively be directed towards the point of stitching because offllVGrsion from the direction of incidence resulting from internal reflection and response to refraction. An example. of a preferred transparent material having a high index of refraction is transparent methyl methacrylate resin such as that commonly available on the market undeizthe name Lucite; such methyl methacrylate resin is likewise preferable because it is tough and with that shown in Figs. and 2 except that the light receiving surface 2Ia of the transparent shoe [8 is parallel or closely parallel to the plane of the bottom of the presser foot and comprises the reflecting surface 29 which is disposed at an obtuse angle, preferably about 135 to the bottom of the presser foot, so as to internally reflect the light rays entering at the surface Zla from the light source L1 and thereby divert them as indicated from their direction of incidence and direct them toward the point of stitching. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the light receiving surface 2 la being parallel or substantially parallel to the bottom of the presser foot makes an angle of 0 or substantially 0 with the plane of the bottom of the presser foot and when it is stated in the claims that the illumination receiving surface of the transparent material of the presser foot is disposed at an acute angle to the plane of the bottom of the presser foot or of the heel of the presser foot, said acute angle is to be understood as including an angle of 0 or substantially 9. Using this embodiment the light source L1 may be disposed so as to be almost directly or even directly over the presser foot. In

the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the side wall 30 portions of the presser foot and has essentially the same shape. Ir; this embodiment the lightreceiving surface Zlhis normal to the plane of the bottom of the presser foot and is disposed appropriately for receivfing rays of light from the source L2 close to the level of the bed of the sewing machine. The shoe as thus constructed transmits light rays directly therethrough to the point of stitching and' it is largely immaterial whether or not the transparent material of which the shoe is composed does or does not have a'relatively high index of refraction.

The several embodiments shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 have been shown in order to ilF-ustrate that insofar as the light :source is concerned it may be located wherever it is most convenient from the point of view of the operator for in any case the illumination can be transmitted through the transparent portion of the presser foot to the point of stitching.

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 5, the entire presser foot may be made of transparent material such as methyl methacryla-te resin, glass or the like. In this embodiment, the heel portion 25, the upstanding flanges 26 and 26a, and the toes 2i and Zia correspond to the parts indicated by the reference characters M, [5 and 15a, and I1 and Ila of FigsIl and 2 except that these parts instead of being made of metal are com posed of -the transparent'material and except that the thickness of heel and toe portions may be somewhat thicker than is usual when metal is employed so as tc facilitate the transmission of light rays therethrough to the point of stitching. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the lightreceiving surface 28 is disposed similarly to the disposition of the light-receiving surface 2| of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but may be disposed in any other position as desired, e. g. as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

While the invention has been shown and described in connection with certain illustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that this has been done merely for purposes of exemplification and that the sewing machine presser foot of this invention may take other forms whereby, in accordance with this invention, the presser foot comprises a transparent portion adapted to transmit illumination therethrou'gh to the point of stitching.

It is apparent that according to this invention good illumination free of objectionable shadows can be afforded at the point of stitching between the toes of a sewing machine presser foot. The improved presser foot of this invention is particularly useful when it is desired to stitch with accuracy along a crease or other mark on the surface of a fabric, and it is also useful for more conventional stitching operations where a gauge is used or more generally whenever it is desired to clearly observe and accurately control the point of entry of the needle into the work during a stitching operation.

I claim:

1. A sewing machine presser foot comprising a heel portion and forwardly projecting toes having a needle-accommodating space therebetween, said presser foot comprising transparent material communicating between a side wall of said needle-accommodating space and an external surface of said presser foot for the transmission of illumination therethrough from said external surface to said space between said toes and the surface of said side wall of said needle-accommodating space being substantially inclined outwardly from adjacent the upper portion of said needle-accommodating space so as to refract light rays emanating from said surface toward the bottom of said needle-accommodating space.

2. A sewing machine presser foot comprising a heel portion having a substantially flat bottom surface and having toes projecting forwardly therefrom with a needle-accommodating space therebetween, said presser foot presenting an illumination-receiving surface along at least one side thereof disposed at an acute angle to the plane of the bottom of said heel and comprising transparent material extending between said illumination-receiving surface and said space between said toes and adapted to divert light rays falling on said illumination-receiving surface from the direction of their incidence thereon toward said space between said toes for transmitting illumination directed against said illuurination-receiving surface to said space between said toes.

3. A sewing machine presser foot according to claim 2 wherein said illumination-receiving surface is approximately parallel to the plane of the bottom of said heel.

4. A sewing machine presser foot according to claim 2 wherein said transparent material is composed of methyl methacrylate resin.

5. A sewing machine presser foot comprising a heel portion of metal and forwardly projecting metal toes having a needle-accommodating space therebetween, said sewing machine presser foot comprising a shoe which is secured to the underside of said metal heel and which comprises transparent material underlying at least one of said metal toes and extending from a position substantially flush with said space between said metal toes to a laterally disposed external surface for transmission of illumination from said laterally disposed external surface underneath said metal toe to said space between said toes.

6. A sewing machine presser foot comprising a heel portion having toes projecting forwardly therefrom with a needle-accommodating space therebetween, said presser foot at least in the region of said toes comprising transparent material extending from a side wall of said needleaccommodating space to an illumination-receiving surface disposed along the side portion of said presser foot in substantially spaced relation to said needle-accommodating space for transmission of illumination laterally therethrough from said illumination-receiving surface to said space between said toes and the upper surface of said transparent material being covered with substantially opaque material extending substantially from said needle-accommodating space between said toes to said illumination-receiving surface.

7. A sewing machine presser foot comprising a heel portion and forwardly projecting toes having a needle-accommodating space therebetween, said presser foot comprising transparent material communicating between a side wall of said needle-accommodating space and an external illumination-receiving surface disposed along the side portion of said presser foot oppositely to and substantially spaced from said side wall of said needle-accommodating space, said illumination-receiving surface being disposed for approximate normal incidence thereon of light rays emanating from a light source disposed above said presser foot and said transparent material being provided with a reflecting surface adapted to divert rays falling on said illumination-receiving surface from their direction of approximate normal incidence thereon laterally through said transparent material toward said space between said toes.

THEODORE LOEW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,946,868 May Feb. 13, 1934 2,211,331 Johanson et al Aug. 13, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 654,308 Germany Dec. 16, 1937 675,975 Germany May 22, 1939 

